|
|
Post by Toz76 on Jun 11, 2017 15:31:56 GMT -5
"It was very close. My parents died when I was younger, and my Uncle raised me. I trusted him very much."
"I see. Did he have any enemies?"
"Not really. I mean, there were a few people who just disliked him, and the family of a young boy who died on a cave exploration a few years back, but that's it."
"I see. Did he have any family besides you?"
"No. He never married."
"Any close friends who might be able to corroborate this?"
"Sure. He was close friends with a Sergeant Gordon Hamilton, an officer of Scotland Yard."
"Very well then. Now, can you explain why the Major was alone? Was he not supposed to be a guide? For that matter, why would anyone be allowed to wander these caves unsupervised, especially if there's already been a death on his watch?"
|
|
|
|
Post by frankthetriviaman on Jun 11, 2017 16:12:56 GMT -5
(I can't believe we actually found a way to bring up one of those suspects again  ) "I... I'm not sure to be honest. He was very safety minded, but... but the only thing I can really think of is that a couple days before the expedition, he confided in me that he had found an unmapped section of the cave, and he wanted to explore for safety reasons. I wasn't one to argue with him so I didn't" "But that still doesn't explain why the group was so fragmented in the cave" Walton pointed out. "He told me that this was the "experienced spelunkers" group; that there were enough experienced cave adventurers in the group to not require everyone to stick together; as long as everyone stayed safe, they could explore at their leisure" he explained. Walton and Hardstuckle weren't sure how to react to that response... |
|
|
|
Post by Tug on Jun 20, 2017 22:30:19 GMT -5
"Are we even sure this one is telling the truth?" asked Hardstuckle
"We might have to question other suspects to make sure this claim is true, so we'll fact check that statement later, anyway, proceed to the next question..." answered Walton
|
|
|
|
Post by frankthetriviaman on Jun 20, 2017 22:54:50 GMT -5
"Mr. Cronwall" Hardstuckle began, "please understand that if you are lying to us, it will only make things worse. So please come clean; is there anything, and I mean anything, that came between you and your uncle?" Hardstuckle asked.
Cronwall nervously shook until giving in, "I didn't want to say this out loud since it would make me look bad, but... in my father's will, it explained that my parent's money was to be left in a trust maintained by my Uncle until I turned 18 years old; on my 18th birthday the trust was to be turned over to me and I would receive my parents money" Cronwall explained.
"So what was the issue?" Hardstuckle asked.
"Well... I'm now 23, and yet to see any of my parent's money" Cronwall confessed.
Hardstuckle and Walton looked at each other and exchanged a look, while Gunnarson, who was sitting outside the room, was intrigued by such a confession.
"Most interesting... I will need to keep an eye on them when Cricket goes to get interviewed" Gunnarson thought to himself.
|
|
|
|
Post by frankthetriviaman on Jun 24, 2017 23:47:58 GMT -5
The two detectives asked only a few more questions of Cronwall, all minor things, before at last, he was dismissed.
"Mrs. Hartley, it is your turn to be interviewed" Hardstuckle called.
I watched as Cricket went to the room with the two detectives and thought to myself if I should listen in or not... would it be rude of me? Then again, Gunnarson had been listening the whole time, so perhaps not.
Hardstuckle and Walton subsequently began questioning Cricket.
|
|
|
|
Post by Eyes on Jun 25, 2017 1:46:28 GMT -5
"Mrs. Hartley, how long have you known your husband?"
"Oh, three months or so."
"I see. Did you notice anything strange about him?"
"What kind of a question is that?"
"To put it plainly, we thought James Hartley is guilty of the murder of the Major."
I was taken aback. Cricket was immediately defensive.
"Surely you don't have any proof to back up that statement!"
"As a matter of fact, we do. Right here, we..."
|
|
|
|
Post by frankthetriviaman on Jun 25, 2017 2:05:40 GMT -5
...I'm going to cut you off right there!" Cricket fumed.
"Beg pardon?!" Hardstuckle said in shock.
"There's no way he could have done it- you said yourself that he couldn't have done it because he didn't have cigarettes on him!" She said defensively.
"Yes, that is true... on the other hand, I do recall you stinking of cigarettes when I met you. We will get back to that evidence in just a moment. But first Mrs. Hartley, answer me this- how many cigarettes did you smoke while you were in the cave?" Walton asked.
|
|
|
|
Post by Eyes on Jun 25, 2017 2:08:33 GMT -5
"Ten, at least, possibly twenty."
"Dear lord, woman!"
"Hey, they help!"
"Sure they do. You know cigarettes can kill right?"
"Why do you think I took them up in the first place?"
(kill me)
|
|
|
|
Post by frankthetriviaman on Jun 25, 2017 2:10:57 GMT -5
Walton was shocked. "You... you want to die?" He asked, unable to understand what he just heard.
|
|
|
|
Post by Eyes on Jun 25, 2017 2:24:40 GMT -5
"Anyways, you have proof James did it?"
"Why yes, right here..."
|
|
|
|
Post by frankthetriviaman on Jun 25, 2017 2:32:12 GMT -5
"... it would seem that a note was find in his room; apparently the major served with Hartley in the army, and they didn't part on the best of terms" Walton said
"That doesn't change the fact that he wasn't smoking that day" Cricket pointed out.
Realizing they were ignoring their own evidence, they whispered to each other, "she's right; Hartley neither stunk of cigarettes nor was he possession of any" Hardstuckle whispered
"Let's try another direction; I have an idea" Walton whispered back. "Mrs Hartley, let's look at you for a moment... did you have a pre-existing relationship of any form with the major prior to his death?" Walton asked
Cricket sat down in front of the detectives as they began questioning her.
"Mrs. Hartley, did you have a pre-existing relationship with the major prior to today?" Detective Walton asked.
|
|
|
|
Post by Eyes on Jun 25, 2017 2:46:07 GMT -5
"Nope, never met him in my life."
"I see... not even on July 14, 1929? During a cookout at Lake Langespire?"
|
|
|
|
Post by frankthetriviaman on Jun 25, 2017 10:03:20 GMT -5
"What? How the heck should I know, I was only eight!" She fumed.
"Hardstuckle, asking questions like that will get us nowhere" Walton whispered
"Oh, sorry" Hardstuckle whispered back. "Then answer this- have you ever been to these caves before? Seems rather unusual for the guide to have let you all go off in various smaller groups. I presume you knew your way around these caves, if he trusted you that much" Hardstuckle observed
|
|
|
|
Post by Toz76 on Jun 25, 2017 12:24:19 GMT -5
"I have been here before. My father loves spelunking. He's taken me to lots of caves."
"Then why did you tell the major and his nephew that you were new to caving?"
"Um, er... well, it's because I thought..."
|
|
|
|
Post by frankthetriviaman on Jun 25, 2017 12:58:43 GMT -5
"...it wouldn't seem proper if it was common knowledge. Given our standing in society father felt it best that we keep our little hobby a secret" she explained
"Ah; and your knife?" Walton asked
"I keep it on hand if a rope gets tangled; you'd be surprised how many situations this thing can get you out of" she explained.
"I see. So during your time here, have you had any problems with the major?" Walton asked.
"Well, he has harassed me a couple times; kept asking me about something that I had no idea what he was talking about" Cricket explained.
"What was it?" Hardstuckle asked.
"No idea; I couldn't understand a word of it" Cricket replied.
"Interesting. I guess only one more question to ask then. Mrs. Hartley, if we were to ask Mr Hartley if you had stayed with him the entire time then in the cave, would he say yes?" Walton asked.
"No. And I know it sounds bad, but I can explain. We did get separated a couple times; the first time was because we got disoriented, and the second time was because Hartley slipped and fell when we came to the slope in the cave; took me a good ten minutes to find him" she explained.
"I see; so when you were in the caves did you ever go near the area where the major died?" Walton asked.
"As much as I hate to admit it... yes. When Hartley and I separated I found myself walking around there for a while" she admitted.
"Is that everything?" Walton asked.
"Seems all right to me; ok Mrs Hartley, we're done" Hardstuckle replied.
When all the suspects were reassembled, they looked over at Gunnarson.
"You've been observing and listening this whole time: what are your thoughts?" Hardstuckle asked.
|
|
|
|
Post by Toz76 on Jun 25, 2017 13:10:55 GMT -5
"Well, the evidence seems to point to Picard, but I don't think it was him."
"Why not?" Walton asked. "Intuition?"
"No, because of one key piece of evidence..."
|
|
|
|
Post by Eyes on Jun 25, 2017 13:17:39 GMT -5
"This ring." And he held it up. Inscribed on it was - "To my dear Emily."
"Gothart?"
"Most likely. I feel that this piece of evidence can clear the whole thing up, but I don't know how as of yet."
"But I do," said Gunnarson, walking in. "This is the final piece to the puzzle that I needed. Yes gentlemen, I have figured everything out. If you could give me the chance to round everyone up, I'll clear this whole mystery up."
"Gunnarson..." began Walton, but then he stopped. "All right, you have one chance to explain this mystery to everyone. But if you're wrong, I'll have you kicked from the premises. Is that understood?"
|
|
|
|
Post by frankthetriviaman on Jun 25, 2017 13:19:13 GMT -5
"...the lighter" Gunnarson said.
"Yea? What about it?" Walton asked.
"I took a look at it... yes, it was at the crime scene, but the flint was broken. Picard couldn't light a cigarette even if he wanted to; and yet why would he bring a broken lighter into a cave?" Gunnarson said.
"Does that mean...?" Hardstuckle began
"Yes... it means the lighter was planted there" Gunnarson concluded.
"But then... then it was either the nephew..." Hardstuckle began
"... or Cricket" Gunnarson said grimly.
|
|
|
|
Post by Eyes on Jun 25, 2017 13:23:45 GMT -5
I was shocked. "You can't seriously believe she did it?!" I cried.
|
|
|
|
Post by frankthetriviaman on Jun 25, 2017 13:26:02 GMT -5
Gunnarson sighed heavily, "I'm sorry James, but until I find conclusive evidence that proves her innocence, or the nephew's guilt... I have no choice but to consider her a suspect" Gunnarson explained.
"Then perhaps let us work on the case; we wouldn't want emotional attachment to interfere with your judgement" Hardstuckle suggested.
|
|
)
